The Hot List Gets Its Biggest Update Ever, With 15 New Additions

When we launched The Hot List in December 2024, we spent weeks debating an initial list of 100 essential food and drink experiences that define Sydney now. Some places made the list because they were new, hot and had the whole city talking. Others were institutions continuing to define how we dine. And several got the nod because they were doing something highly original, which couldn’t be found anywhere else in town.

Since then, we’ve regularly updated the list as new restaurants opened and closed, chefs moved venues and different names entered the zeitgeist. But by and large, we’ve been practising incremental refinement. Every week or two, a few spots would come off the list, and a few new ones would be added.

Today we’re taking a break from regular programming with a massive update. We’ve added 15 restaurants, cafes and bars that we think are defining how Sydney is eating and drinking right now.

This diverse group includes Yeodongsik, where Korean hangover soup and perilla noodles are responsible for queues out the door; Ard, a charming corner store (and permanent home) for Christiana Daaboul’s Lebanese-leaning baked goods; Happy Shop, an American-diner-style takeaway spot dishing up burgers, beignets and a healthy dose of nostalgia; and Razz Room – Odd Culture’s CBD bar inspired by New York’s pioneering 1970s nightclubs, including the infamous Studio 54.

April 22 Hot List additions

• Aalia Wine Room, Sydney
• Appizza, Darlinghurst
• Ard Bakery, Stanmore
• Flaminia, Sydney
• Happy Shop, Haberfield
• Heaps Normal Health Club, Marrickville
• Jinius, Dawes Point
• Kim’s Korean Deli, Darlinghurst
• Mapo, Darlinghurst
• Pina, Potts Point
• Razz Room, Sydney
• Sit, Marrickville
• Sushi Oe, Glebe
• Valet, Newtown
• Yeodongsik, Eastwood

The Hot List is proudly sponsored by Square.